In the world of English academic prophecy expositors, something
resembling a Copernican revolution had taken place in the decade
before Newton was born. A novel interpretive system for Daniel and
Revelation had been devised by Cambridge Greek professor Joseph Mede.
During the reformation, exposition of prophecy had been piecemeal.
Fragments of light fell here and there to form a patchwork quilt totally
lacking in design. Mede observed that the historical events foretold by the
symbols in the Apocalypse did not parallel the order of the visions
themselves chapter by chapter. A system had to be invented to determine
the chronological sequence which had been confused by earlier expositors.
Mede discovered that there were a number of progressions of visions
which were synchronized one to another. Some began where others left
off, others overlapped. For instance, the seven churches of Revelation 2
and 3 overlap the history of the seven seals and treat a different theme.
In identifying and regrouping these preparatory to interpretation, he came
upon a method that was to be the model used by all reputable expositors.
His admirers glorified his discovery by equating it in importance to
Aristotle's syllogistic reasoning. Isaac Newton was heir to Mede's
methodology and extended Mede's syllogistic logic into a completed
interpretive system which would stand the test of time.
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Even though his reputation rests on his scientific work, science occupied
Isaac Newton's interest for a relatively short period of his life. Even while
he was finishing his monumental Pricipia at age 28, he had grown tired of
science and became engrossed in interpreting the book of Daniel which
had fascinated him since his youth. Over the remainder of his life he would
write over 1,300,000 words on religious subjects with prophecy his
principal focus. (Andrade)
His consuming interest in prophecy was driven by three basic beliefs:
1) The book of Daniel was a pre-written history of the world and to
interpret it would unlock a treasure of understanding.
2) The book had been sealed (Dan 12:4) and Newton believed the
appointed time had arrived to break the seal.
3) God had chosen him to interpret it. This remarkable fact surfaced
from recently discovered manuscripts of his. He was haunted all
his life by this calling. |
When John completed the book of Revelation, true prophecy ceased. This
was the age of the prophecy expositor which was a comparable calling.
Newton stated in his observations that previous interpreters had given
prophecy a bad name by attempting to foretell the future. The design of
God was much different. He gave the prophecies, not to gratify the
curiosity of man to know the future, but that after they were fulfilled they
might be interpreted by the event. (John 13:19). Then the God who saw
all from the beginning would receive the glory and men's faith would grow. Newton's remarkable work in astronomy, history and chronology all grew
out of his consuming interest in the book of Daniel. In tracing the symbolic
unfolding of history, Newton devoted several decades to the reading of
ancient history. In his generation, chronology was a pivotal battleground
upon which the theologians, philosophers, deists and atheists contended.
History without sound chronology was confusion. And without historical
benchmarks the prophecies in the book of Daniel were in question.
The need for chronological precision led Newton into another discipline,
astronomy. In this he had no peer. He determined ancient dates such as
Christ's birth and Artaxerxe's decree to rebuild Jerusalem by measuring
the precession of equinoxes and locating eclipses, comets and natural
disasters which were often mentioned in ancient history. His Chronology
of Ancient Kingdoms Amended when joined with his history of empires and
churches since Daniel, forms one complete universal history of mankind,
both sacred and profane since creation.
He developed a novel dictionary of prophetic symbols like the little horn,
the seals and the candlesticks that demonstrated every notable physical
and religious occurrence conformed exactly to the possible meanings of
each prophetic verse. There was nothing left over, no random words still
unexplained and no images were superfluous. He continued his scientific
approach until he felt the system was complete and flawless.
It wasn't of course, especially his chronology which missed the mark
widely in certain instances, but his method was sound and he blazed a
trail others would follow. Just as his Principia laid the foundation for
modern physics, his interpretive system laid the foundation for subsequent
protestant prophecy exposition.
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